Haizi Valley
海子沟
The highest and most untouched of the three valleys, with no sightseeing bus. Hike past Chaoshanping and Guowopinping to high-altitude lakes such as Flower Lake and Big Lake. It is also the route to the approach for climbing Siguniang's Great and Second Peaks.
Haizi Valley lies on the east side of Siguniang Town. It is about 19 km long and rises from 3,200 meters to over 4,000 meters. The valley holds more than ten high-altitude lakes, including Flower Lake, Big Lake, Rhinoceros Lake, Floating Lake and Blue Lake. It is the most primitive of the three valleys and sees the fewest visitors. There are no sightseeing buses, so visitors must hike or ride horses. The usual route follows the horse trail upward for about 3 km to Chaoshanping, where a Tibetan pilgrimage festival is held on the fourth day of the fifth lunar month each year. Continue to Guowopinping, a large meadow with views of the four Siguniang peaks, which takes about 4 hours round trip and is the usual endpoint of a day trip. Going deeper for about 8 km brings you to Flower Lake at 3,800 meters, which has campsites, and then about 13 km to Big Lake, where the lake reflects the snowy peaks. Round trips to Big Lake take a full day or an overnight camp. Rhinoceros Lake and other more distant lakes require two or more days. Haizi Valley is also the route into the mountains for climbing Siguniang's Great and Second Peaks, with base camp at about 4,300 meters in Laolaogou. Entry costs 60 yuan. Opening hours are 8:00–17:30 (17:00 in winter), and advance booking is required. Camping and mountaineering require a special outdoor activity ticket (150 yuan for three days). Horseback riding to and from Guowopinping costs about 200–300 yuan. Getting there: the entrance is at the edge of town and within walking distance. Tips: there are no supply points along the route, so bring plenty of water and food. The altitude is high and the distances are long, so a day trip should go no further than Guowopinping. The weather changes fast, so do not stay in open meadows during thunderstorms. Solo hikers should always tell their guesthouse the route and expected return time.
Opening hours
08:00–17:30 (winter 08:00–17:00; reservation required)
Nearby sights
- Dahaizi Lake (Haizi Valley)
- Siguniang Dafeng (Big Sister Peak)
- Changping Valley
- Kushutan
- Chaoshanping Viewpoint
- Maobiliang Viewpoint
- Siguniangshan Town (Rilong)
- Yaomei Peak (Mount Siguniang)